Pure Water vs Squeegee: Which Is Right for Your Marietta Home?

What pure-water cleaning actually is

Water is purified by reverse osmosis and deionisation to 0 TDS — no minerals, no detergent. A soft brush on a pole agitates dirt on the glass and frames, the pure water rinses it away, and because there's nothing dissolved in the water, it dries spot-free on its own. Modern poles reach around five stories from the ground, which makes most Marietta two- and three-story exteriors ladder-free.

Where pure water wins

Exterior maintenance cleans on modern glass: faster, safer, no ladders against siding, frames rinsed as part of the pass, and no soap film left to grab the next round of pollen. On a maintenance rhythm, it's the reason repeat cleans cost less than first cleans.

Where the squeegee still wins

Interiors, always — you can't rinse a living room. First cleans on neglected glass, construction residue, stickers and paint (see post-construction cleaning), mineral spotting, and historic true-divided-light windows on Whitlock and Kennesaw Avenue, where small lites and original glass want a hand, a mop and a squeegee. Anyone who tells you one method does everything is selling you the tool they own.

What Resiclean does

Both, chosen per pane, stated in your estimate. Dillon will tell you if your glass needs hand work first and pure-water maintenance after — the sequence most Marietta homes actually need. Start with the window cleaning page and ask him which yours is.

Why the water itself is a Marietta story

Pure-water cleaning only works because of what is — and is not — in the water. The system purifies tap water by reverse osmosis and deionisation to 0 total dissolved solids, so the rinse carries soil away and then evaporates leaving nothing behind: no minerals, no detergent film for the next round of pollen to stick to. In Cobb County that purification step matters more than the soft local supply might suggest. Authority-treated water here is genuinely soft, at roughly 31.7 to 35.1 milligrams per liter, but 'soft' is not 'pure' — rinse a pane with untreated tap water in August sun and even modest dissolved solids can spot as it flashes dry.

The squeegee's advantage is control, not nostalgia. A mop, solution and blade in hand can feel a pane — catching the sticker edge, the paint speck, the grit that would scratch — which is why interiors, post-construction glass, mineral spotting and the small true divided lights of Whitlock and Kennesaw Avenue are hand work, full stop. Water-fed poles cannot work inside a living room, cannot detail a track, and cannot tell you a pane is etched rather than dirty.

So the honest answer to 'which is better' is a sequence, not a side: hand-clean neglected, historic or newly built glass back to a known standard, then maintain it with pure water on a schedule — faster, ladder-free and film-free between the deep cleans your house actually needs. If a quote names only one method for every pane in the house, ask why — the answer will tell you whether you are hiring a craftsman or a tool.

Frequently asked questions

What does 0 TDS mean in pure-water cleaning?

Zero total dissolved solids. Tap water is purified by reverse osmosis and deionisation until nothing is dissolved in it, so it rinses soil off glass and frames and dries spot-free on its own, with no detergent and no mineral residue.

Is pure-water cleaning safe for historic windows?

It is safe, but it is rarely the best tool for them. Small true divided lights and original glass want a hand, a mop and a squeegee — the control to feel grit, stickers and fragile panes — which is why historic Marietta homes are hand-cleaned.

Which method will Resiclean use on my home?

Both, chosen per pane and stated in your estimate. Most Marietta homes need hand work first — interiors, first cleans, construction residue — and pure-water maintenance after. Dillon will tell you which sequence your glass needs.

Related reading

• Cobb County Water Is Soft — So Why Do You Have Hard-Water Spots?
• Post-Construction Window Cleaning: How to Prepare Your Marietta Home
• Post-Pollen Window Cleaning: When to Book in Marietta (Late April, Not Mid-Peak)
• Window Cleaning — the Resiclean service page for this topic

Sources

• Cobb County–Marietta Water Authority — Annual Water Quality Information
• OSHA — Occupational Safety and Health Administration
• Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA EPD)

Next step: get a free, firm estimate for your own home — call (770) 846-5651 or send the form. See what window cleaning costs in Marietta and what customers say.